1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device capable of changing an analog signal to a digital signal and then communicating the converted signal over a single wire bus to a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to a quad input analog to digital converter which converts a plurality of analog signals into a plurality of digital signals that can be communicated over a single wire bidirectional communication bus.
2. Description of Related Art
Analog to digital converters (A-to-D) converters have become common in the electronic industry. In general, an A-to-D converter receives an analog signal and converts the signal into a digital signal. The resulting digital signal is sent in parallel form or in serial form over multi-wire busses.
When an analog signal is sent over a long wire connected to a host system, the integrity of the analog signal decreases over the length of the connection. Conversely, a digital signal's integrity is much less likely to decrease over the same long wire connection. Yet, a drawback of A-to-D converters is that they consume a large amount of energy while performing an A-to-D conversion. Furthermore, A-to-D converters are difficult to incorporate into an analog sensor that is remotely positioned to take an analog reading in a remote location. A-to-D converters require multiple wires to connect the A-to-D converter to a system which uses the digitized output of the converter.